The present invention relates generally to an electrical receptacle and more particularly to an electrical receptacle having protrusions formed thereon as position locators.
Means for positioning an electrical outlet box with respect to a structural element to which it is mounted are well known in the art. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,842,165 to Nattell discloses an electrical outlet box having positioning elements similar to that shown in FIG. 1. Referring to FIG. 1, the electrical outlet box 10 includes locating fingers 12 formed on the sidewalls 14 of the box. The locating fingers 12 are bent transversely from the sidewall 14 about bend lines extending parallel to the front of the box 10. The locating fingers 12 are banked against a structural element, such as a wall stud 16, so as to position the electrical box a predetermined distance forward of the structural element. Typically, the distance between the front of the electrical box 10 and the banking surface of the fingers 12 is equal to the thickness of a subsequently installed wall so that the front of the box 10 will be flush against the finished wall.
One disadvantage of the locating finger arrangement shown in FIG. 1 is that these fingers can only be formed at the ends of a sidewall. Hence, their use is limited. Another disadvantage is that these outwardly projecting locating fingers typically include sharp edges making handling of the electrical box for installation difficult and inconvenient.
Another example of an electrical outlet box having a positioning means is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,579,939 to Bourassa and shown in FIG. 2. Here, the electrical outlet box 20 includes tabs 22 projecting outwardly from a side wall 24 of the box. Again, the tabs 22 are spaced an equal distance from the edge of the front opening of the box and are set against a side of an adjacent supporting structure 26 so as to position the box 20 a predetermined distance forward from the structure. The tabs 22 are formed by punching out small portions of the sidewall 24 and bending the punched out portions perpendicularly, leaving openings or holes 27 in the side wall. Although here the tabs 22 may be positioned anywhere on the side wall, they typically still include sharp edges making handling of the box difficult.
Another disadvantage of the configuration shown in FIG. 2 relates to the resulting holes or apertures 27 formed in the side wall of the box as a result of the punching process. North American electrical standards require that an electrical outlet box be fabricated such as to not allow a 0.118 inch diameter rod to simultaneously pass through both side walls. Therefore, an electrical outlet box formed with tabs 22, according to FIG. 2, can have the tabs only on one of the side walls in order to meet the standards. If the tabs 22 were formed on both side walls, a 0.118-inch diameter rod would be able to pass through the holes 27 formed on both side walls. Such a box would not be in compliance with North American electrical standards.
Another positioning element found in both electrical boxes of FIGS. 1 and 2 is an arrangement of raised convex projections or bosses 28 formed on one or both side walls of the box. However, these bosses 28 only aid in laterally spacing the electrical box a distance away from the supporting structure and do not provide front to back alignment of the electrical box.
Accordingly, it would be desirable to provide an electrical outlet box having a position locator to aid in front to back alignment of the box that meets North American electrical standards and is easier to handle when installing.
The present invention is an electrical receptacle having at least one side wall defining a receptacle interior. The side wall includes an edge defining a receptacle opening and further includes at least one raised protrusion formed thereon. The protrusion has a banking surface substantially parallel with the opening edge and the protrusion substantially occludes access to the receptacle interior through an aperture formed as a result of forming the protrusion on the side wall.
The protrusion can be any shape. For example, the protrusion can be arcuate shaped or peak shaped and can be completely integral with the side wall. In a preferred embodiment, the banking surface of the protrusion is also substantially perpendicular to the side wall and is spaced a predetermined distance from the opening edge of the receptacle. The protrusion is a substantially integral outwardly bent portion of the side wall, whereby a 0.118 inch diameter rod can not be inserted through the aperture below the protrusion. The side wall preferably includes two raised protrusions, which have coplanar banking surfaces that are substantially parallel with the opening edge. The side wall further preferably includes at least one convex boss formed thereon. The convex boss has a predetermined height for spacing the side wall a predetermined distance away from a structural mounting element.
Preferably, the receptacle includes a top wall, a bottom wall, a back wall and two side walls forming an open rectangular box. A first side wall includes a first raised protrusion formed thereon and a second side wall includes a second raised protrusion formed thereon. The first and second protrusions each have a banking surface substantially parallel with the opening edge, and the protrusions substantially occlude access to the receptacle interior through the first and second side walls. In a preferred embodiment, the banking surface of the first protrusion is spaced a first predetermined distance from the opening edge and the banking surface of the second protrusion is spaced a second predetermined distance from the opening edge.
The present invention also involves a method for forming a positioning protrusion for an electrical receptacle. The method includes the steps of cutting two substantially parallel slits in a side wall of an electrical receptacle and bending a portion of the side wall between the slits outwardly to form the positioning protrusion. The slits are cut substantially parallel with an opening edge of the receptacle so that the positioning protrusion will be formed having a banking surface substantially parallel with the opening edge. In forming the protrusion in this manner, the positioning protrusion will substantially occlude access to the interior of the receptacle through the side wall.
A preferred form of the electrical receptacle having protrusions as a position locator as well as other embodiments, features and advantages of this invention, will be apparent from the following detailed description, which is to be read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.